Internet II: Internet & Search Engines – SS3 Data Processing Lesson Note (First Term)

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide. A search engine is a software system, usually a website, designed to search for information on the World Wide Web. Users enter a query and the search engine provides links to matching content.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain the meaning of the internet;
2. state the advantages of the internet;
3. state the disadvantages of the internet;
4. explain the meaning of a search engine;
5. give examples of search engines;
6. state the uses of search engines.

What is the internet?

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide.

• Origin of the word: Internet came from two words: interconnection and network.
• Network: a group of computers and devices linked to share data and resources.
• Protocol: a set of rules that lets different computers send and receive data.
• Internet service provider (ISP): a company that gives users access to the internet, such as a mobile network operator.
• Web browser: a program used to view web pages, such as Chrome, Firefox and Edge.

What do you need to connect to the internet?

1. A device such as a computer, phone or tablet.
2. A connection through an ISP, using a modem, router or mobile data.
3. A web browser to open websites.

What is the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web?

The internet is the worldwide network of connected computers. The World Wide Web (www) is the collection of web pages and websites that people reach through that network.

What are the advantages of the internet?

The advantages of the internet are communication, information, entertainment, services and e-commerce.

• Communication: We can communicate in a second with a person who is in another part of the world, for example by e-mail, to build global friendships and share thoughts.
• Information: Information is the biggest advantage of the internet. Any kind of information on any topic is available on it. There is a huge amount of information on every subject known to man, which we can find using search engines such as Google and Yahoo.
• Entertainment: Through the internet, we can download games and visit chat rooms. Chat rooms are popular because users can meet new and interesting people. Music, hobbies, news and more can be found and shared on the internet.
• Services: Many services are now provided on the internet, such as online banking, job seeking and buying tickets.
• E-commerce: Business activities (buying and selling) and other business-related information can be transferred across the globe through the internet.

What are the disadvantages of the internet?

The disadvantages of the internet are computer viruses, harmful content, time wasting and cybercrime.

• Computer viruses: harmful programs picked up from unsafe websites, downloads and e-mail attachments.
• Pornography: indecent material that is easy to reach and harms young people.
• Time wasting: games, chatting and social media can take time away from study and work.
• Cybercrime: a high rate of crime carried out online, such as internet fraud, hacking and identity theft.

What is a search engine?

A search engine is a software system designed to search for information on the World Wide Web (www).

• Website: it collects and organises content from all over the internet.
• Query: the words a person types to say what they want to find.
• Results: the links the search engine displays to content that matches the query.
• Example: to find the meaning of a computer, type “what is a computer” into a search engine. It will display the meanings of a computer found on the internet.

How does a search engine work?

A search engine collects web pages in advance, stores them in an index and then matches your query against that index.

1. Crawl: programs visit web pages and follow their links to collect content.
2. Index: the collected content is sorted and stored so it can be found quickly.
3. Match: when you enter a query, the engine finds indexed pages that fit it.
4. Rank: the engine lists the results, with the pages it judges most useful first.

What are examples of search engines?

Examples of search engines are Google, Yahoo and Bing.

• Google: the most widely used search engine in the world.
• Yahoo: a search engine and web portal that also offers e-mail.
• Bing: the search engine made by Microsoft.

What is the difference between a search engine and a web browser?

A web browser is a program used to open and view web pages. A search engine is a website that finds web pages for you.

What are the uses of search engines?

Search engines are used to find information of many kinds on the web.

• News: to search for news stories.
• Events: to search for online events.
• Images and videos: to find pictures and video clips on a topic.
• Locations: to find places and directions.
• Identification: to identify plants, animals and people.
• Products: to search for technology and vehicles.

How can you search effectively?

Good searching depends on choosing clear words for your query.

1. Use specific keywords, for example “uses of a spreadsheet” instead of “computer”.
2. Put words in quotation marks to search for an exact phrase.
3. Check the web address and source before you trust a result.

Evaluation

1. What is the internet?
2. State three advantages of the internet.
3. State three disadvantages of the internet.
4. What is a search engine?
5. List four uses of search engines.

Assignment

Write a short paragraph describing how you would use a search engine to find the meaning of a computer.